Solvent reservoir for windshield washer apparatus



March 30, 1954 e. B. DOYLE, JR 2,573,762

SOLVENT RESERVOIR FOR WINDSHIELD WASHER APPARATUS Filed April 1'7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1. /4

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March 30, 1954 G. B. DOYLE, JR

SOLVENT RESERVOIR FOR WINDSHIELD WASHER APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1953 2 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR. Goeaozv B. DOYLE, J9.

Patented Mar. 30, 1954 OFFICE SOLVENT RESERVOIR FOR WINDSHIELD WASHER APPARATUS Gordon Bennett Doyle, Jr., College Park, Md.

Application April 17, 1953, Serial No. 349,429

2 Claims. (01. 299-84) This invention relates to windshield. washing apparatus carried by an automobile and associated with the windshield wiper mechanism of the automobile and more particularly to windshield washing apparatus including a water reservoir and a solvent or detergent reservoir connected to the water reservoir in a manner such that solvent or detergent can be dispensed in major quantities from the solvent reservoir into the water reservoir.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide improved windshield washing apparatus mounted in the engine compartment of the associated automobile and connected to a source of air under pressure operated by the associated engine to spray water on the associated windshield in cooperation with the windshield wiper mechanism to wash the windshield of the automobile; which includes a bottle or reservoir for a solution of water and a suitable solvent or description and the appended claims in co-njunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic cross sectional View of the front end portion of an automobil showing windshield washing apparatus mounted on the fire wall of the automobile and including a water reservoir and a solvent reservoir connected to the water reservoir;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the solvent reservoir;

Figure l is a cross sectional view on the line of Figure 3; and

Figur is a cross sectional view on the line of Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawings, the portion of the automobile iragmentarily illustrated includes the automobile fire wall IE front fenders H and I2 disposed at respectively opposite sides of the fire wall and extending forward- 2 lytherefrom, a hood l3 extending between the upper edges of the fenders I I and I2 and forwardly from the upper edge of the fire wall, and a windshield l4 mounted on and extending transversely of the automobile above the fire wall In. Suitable windshield wiper mechanism including the wiper blades l5 and I6, ismounted on the vehicle with the blades disposed at the outer side and lower edge of the windshield and windshield washing apparatus is mounted in the engine compartment of the vehicle ahead of the fire wall [0 and between the fenders II and I2 and associated with the wiping mechanism to spray water on the front or outer side of the windshield which can be wiped over the surface of the windshield by the wiper blades to clean the windshield in a manner well known to the art.

The windshield washing apparatus includes a bottle or jar I8 mounted on the front side of the fire wall 10 by a bracket 2!! and constituting a reservoir for the water for washing the windshield. The jar l8 may be a glass jar of cylindrical shape having an externally screw threaded neck 2| of reduced diameter and a cover 22 of sheet metal having. an internally screw threaded marginal flang surrounding and threadedly engaging the neck 2| of the bottle. The bracket may include a cleat 24 mounted in upright position on the fire wall In and having its intermediate portion spaced forwardly of and substantially parallelto the fire wall, a cup-shaped platform 25 secured to the cleat 24 near the lower end of the cleat and projecting substantially perpendicularly outwardly from the cleat and a band 2t secured to the cleat near the upper end of the cleat and projecting perpendicularly outwardly therefrom, the platform 25 and band 26 receiving the jar or bottle 18 and securely supporting the jar in position on the fire wall of the automobile. 1

A valve 28 is mounted on and extends above the cap 22 in communication with the interior of the bottle l8 and has at its upper end an operating arm 29 connected by a link 39 extending through the vehicle fire wall ill to a manual control knob for opening and closing th valve. A conduit 3| leads from the valve 28 to a suitable source of air under pressure, such as an air pump mounted on the fuel pump of the associated automobile engine for supplying air under pressure to the interior of the jar l8 when the valve 28 is manually opened. A tube 32 is disposed in upright position in the jar I8 and extends from alocation near the bottom of the jar through the cap 22 and a flexible conduit 33 connects dicated at 35, is mounted on the autmobile structure, such as the inner wall 36 ofthe fender |-2, by a suitable bracket, generally indicated at 38, and has its open, upper end closed by a' cupshaped cap 39 threaded onto the externally screw threaded upper end portion of the reservoir.

As illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the reservoir 35 is preferably a substantially cylindrical container of a transparent material, such as glass or a synthetic rosin plastic, and is of a size to hold a predetermined quantity of liquid solvent or detergent, a reservoir having a capacity for eight ounces of lquid having been found to provide satisfactory results in use.

The bracket 38 comprises a U-shaped cleat iii), the legs of which are adjustable in length and secured at their distal ends to the fender wall 35 so that the cleat is disposed in upright position with its intermediate portion spaced inwardly from and substantially parallel to the fender side wall. Cylindrical bands ll and 42 are secured to the intermediate portion of the cleat at the upper and lower ends of this intermediate portion respectively and extend perpendicularly outwardly from the cleat and closely receive the reservoir 35. A U-shaped clamp 44 has its intermediate or bight portion extending diametrically of the lower band 42 at the lower edge of this band and its legs at its open end secured to the band 4| at diametrically opposite locations around the upper band 4|. The reservoir or receptacle 35 is disposed between the parallel legs of the clamp 44 and is provided with recesses, as indicated at 45, disposed medially of the length of the receptacle and at diametrically opposite locations therearound and each leg of the clamp is provided with a detent formation 25 resiliently engaged in the corresponding depression in the receptacle to resiliently clamp the receptacle in the bracket 38.

The receptacle cover 39 is provided with a central opening 428 and an externally screw threaded,

stepped fitting 55 is mounted in this central opening and has an annular flange portion 5| overlying the cover around the opening 48, a screw threaded portion 52 extending from the flange through the opening in the cover and an externally screw threaded end portion 53 of reduced diameter extending from the end of the portion 5?. remote from the flange 5|. A gasket 5 is disposed between the flange 5| and the cover 39 and a nut 55 isthreaded onto the portion 52 of the fitting 'at the underside of the cover 39 and compresses the gasket 54 between the flange and the cover to provide a fluid tight seal between the fitting and the cover.

A tube 56 is threaded at its upper end onto the screw threaded end portion 53 of the fitting and extends downwardly from thecove'r39 into 4 ball 58 is disposed in the tube 56 for cooperation with the valve seat at the lower end of the tube and a compression spring 59 extends longitudinally through the tube and resiliently urges the ball 58 against the associated annular valve seat. A second tube 69 slidably receives the lower portion of the tube 56 and has at its lower end a restricted opening 6| surrounded by a valve seat and a valve ball 62 is disposed in the tube for cooperation with the annular valve seat surrounding the opening 6|. A compression spring 63 extends longitudinally of the tube 69 between the valve ball 62 and the adjacent end of the tube 56and resiliently urges the valve ball 62 into -engagementrwith the valve seat surrounding the opening 6| in the lower end of the tube 69. A bracket-Gris secured to the tube 69 near the upper end of this tube and projects radially from the tubes 69 and 56 and a rod 65 extends slidably through an opening 66 in the cover 39 and is securediat its. lower end to the bracket 64 at a location spaced laterally from the tube 69.

The rod 65 extends above the reservoir cover 39 and a hand'knob68 is secured on the upper end of this rod. A compression spring 69 surrounds the rod 65 between the knob 68 and the upper surface of'the cover 39 and resiliently urges the rod to its upper limiting position relative to the cover.

The tubes 56 and 60 together with the check valves including th valve balls 58 and 62 constitute a pump for pumping liquid from the interior of the receptacle 35 through the bore 19 of the fitting 50. When the knob 68 is manually depressed against the force of spring 69 the tube 69 is forced downwardly in the receptacle 35 and liquid in the receptacle enters this tube through the opening El and past the valve ball 62 fillin or partly filling the interior of the tube. When the pressure on the knob '68 is released the spring 69 forces the rod 65' and the tube 60 upwardly and the liquid trapped in'th'e tube 6 0 by the closing of the valve ball 62 with its associated seat is now forced through the opening 51 in the lower end of the tube 56 and past the valve ball 58 into the tube 56. As soon as the tube 56 is filled liquid is then forced from this tube upwardly through the bore 10 of the fitting 59.

Above the flange 5| the fitting 58 is provided with an externally 'screw threaded portion 12 of reduced diameter and a tubular conduit 13 has one end inserted into the upper end of the bore Ill in the fitting portion 12. A packing T4 surrounds the conduit 13 at the upper end of the fitting portion 12 and a gland nut 15 threaded onto the fitting portion 12 compresses the packing 14 around the conduit 13 and provides a fluid tight seal between the conduit and the fitting 59.

The cover 22 of the water receptacle I8 is provided with an opening and a stepped fitting 16 has a screw threaded portion extending through this opening and an annular flange 11 overlying the cover 22 surrounding the fitting receiving opening therein. A nut I8 is threaded onto the fitting below the cover 22 and compresses an annular'g'al'skt 19 'between'the flange T! and the adjacent portion'of the cover 22 and a tube is threaded at its upper end into the lower end of the fitting 16 and extends downwardly from the fitting 16 substantially to the bottom wall SI of the receptacle l8. This tube is closed at its lower 'endandis provided in its side wall 'jwithaperture'sor*oriflces 82 spaced apart longi- 'tudinally of the tube so that liquid solvent flowing'tromthis'tube into the receptacle l8 will be uniformly dispersed through the water contained in the receptacle.

Above the flange T! the fitting 16 is provided with an externally screw threaded portion 84 of reduced diameter and the other end of the conduit 13 is inserted into the upper end portion of the bore 85 within the portion 84 of the fitting 16. A packing 86 surrounds the conduit 73 at the upper end of the fitting portion 84 and a gland nut 81 is threaded onto the fitting portion 84 and compresses the packing 86 around the conduit 13 to provide a fluidtight seal between the conduit and the fitting.

With this arrangement, the liquid forced upwardly through the tube 56 by the above described pump action and through the fitting 50 is forced through the conduit 13 and the fitting 16 into the tube 80 in the water receptacle l8 and ejected through the orifices 82 in the tube 30 into the water contained in the receptacle l8.

The solvent receptacle 35 is provided on the outer side thereof with a series 88 of graduations uniformly spaced apart longitudinally of the receptacle and accurately indicating the liquid contents of the receptacle in ounces. By observing the movement of the liquid level in the receptacle 35 downwardly past the graduations 88 the operator can determine exactly how much liquid solvent or detergent is pumped from the solvent reservoir 35 into the water reservoir l8.

The solvent reservoir cover 39 is provided with a third opening 90 surrounded at the upper side of the cover by a filler spout 9| through which the supply of solvent in the reservoir 35 can be replenished when necessary and a cover 92 is hinged to the filler spout 9| at the upper end of the spout and movable into and out of closing relationship with the upper end of the filler spout.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an automobile windshield washing apparatus including a water reservoir having a top, a solvent reservoir disposed adjacent said water reservoir and having a top, a tube disposed in said water reservoir and extending through the top thereof, a manually operated pump disposed in said solvent reservoir and extending through the top thereof, and conduit means connecting said pump to said tube for the dispensing of solvent from said solvent reservoir into said water reservoir by operation of said pump, said solvent reservoir being of transparent material and having graduation marks uniformly spaced apart longitudinally thereof and indicating the liquid content of said reservoir in ounces whereby an operator can determine the amount of liquid pumped from said solvent reservoir into said water reservoir by observing the passage of the liquid level in said solvent reservoir past said graduation marks.

2. In combination with an automobile windshield washing apparatus including a water reservoir having a top, a solvent reservoir disposed adjacent said water reservoir and having a top, a tube disposed in said water reservoir and extending through the top thereof, a manually operated pump disposed in said solvent reservoir and extending through the top thereof, and conduit means connecting said pump to said tube for the dispensing of solvent from said solvent reservoir into said water reservoir by operation of said pump, said tube disposed in the water reservoir extending from the top of the water reservoir substantially to the bottom thereof and having its lower end closed and apertures in its side wall spaced apart longitudinally thereof to uniformly distribute the liquid solvent pumped from said solvent reservoir into said water reservoir through the water contained in said water reservoir.

GORDON BENNETT DOYLE, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 150,830 Collier May 12, 1874 779,923 Gillett Jan. 10, 1905 1,304,746 Dingle May 27, 1919 2,105,676 Stow Jan. 18, 1938 2,289,650 Horton July 14, 1942 

